1. Technical Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to barriers to pedestrians or vehicles, and more particularly to fences and fence components.
2. Description of Related Art
Metal fences of various kinds are well known in the art. Such metal fences are typically assembled from stock metal components making up the rails and pickets (uprights) joined together through a welding process. The assembled components form a fence panel of generally rectangular shape. Vertical posts are mounted in the ground (for example, through a cement footing or base), and a fence panel extends between, and is mounted to, a pair of vertical posts. Alternatively, two or more of the upright members in the fence panel extend below a lower-most one of the rail members. The extensions of the upright members allow for the fence panel to be installed in the ground.
It is commonplace for there to exist uneven, sloping ground topography where a fence needs to be installed. The installation of rigidly assembled metal fence panels on such topography is difficult because of the aesthetic need for the vertical parts of the fence, the posts and uprights (pickets), to be vertically oriented. This requires either the manufacture of custom fence panels designed for the pitch of the underlying ground topography, or for the vertical offsetting of adjacent fence panels along the length of the fence line to account for the sloping terrain.
There exists a need in the art for a metal fence panel having an adjustable racking capability so that the fence panel can be used in connection with fence installations on either horizontal or sloping terrain. Preferably, the needed panel with a racking capability will be economically manufacturable and easy to install.